Latest news with #grass
News.com.au
17 hours ago
- Climate
- News.com.au
Why your lawn stops growing in winter
Oh, winter in Australia. The sun sets before 5pm, the mornings are foggy, and we cling to our extra-hot cappuccinos with one sugar just to make the commute to work bearable. We're such a summer-loving nation that as soon as the temperature hits single digits, half the country declares it too cold and jets off to Europe. But amid it all, there's one major perk to the winter in Australia. You don't need to mow your lawn. Yes, that's right. Most Australian lawns experience slower growth during winter due to lack of sunlight and cooler temperatures, meaning that you won't need to mow as frequently. In fact, a colleague whose lawn needs to be mowed every 7-10 days during the summer has gone seven weeks without mowing it. And it's barely grown. The most common Australian grasses are C4 grasses, otherwise known as warm-season grasses. This includes varieties such as couch grass, kikuyu, and buffalo grass, and they're often the choice for Aussie lawns due to their strong heat and drought tolerance. They are also self-repairing, making it a great choice for families with four-legged friends running around. They flourish best in summer, spring, and early autumn, where temps can range from 20 to 32 degrees Celsius. In winter, warm-season grasses tend to go dormant to conserve energy. During this time, they will experience very minimal levels of growth and will often tend to lose colour. But just because your grass is looking a little worse for wear doesn't mean it doesn't require any care. To care for your lawn during winter, it is recommended that weeds and debris are removed and a winter fertiliser or treatment is applied. This way, your lawn stays healthy and ready for growing come Spring. For those with cool-season lawns (C3), you will likely continue mowing as usual. These varieties don't share the same drought tolerance or durability as warm-season lawns and generally thrive in the cooler months. They grow best in temperatures between 10 and 25 degrees, so they tend to stay green and active throughout autumn and winter, especially in southern and elevated parts of Australia. In terms of maintenance, ensuring the grass is kept between 6-8 centimetres makes for better insulation. Bunnings Australia recommends not mowing your lawn when it's wet. It can spread disease through your grass, so be aware of any bacteria in your lawn. Wet grass can also get stuck on your lawnmower's undercarriage and cause issues for your machine.
CNET
19-06-2025
- Climate
- CNET
This Essential Lawn-Mowing Tip Will Keep Your Grass From Dying in Summer Heat
Mowing the lawn during summer is a time-honored tradition and one household chore you might not think contains much nuance. To keep your grass looking sharp and green, there are fatal mistakes to avoid, especially during hot weather. Beyond supplying your grass with proper nutrients and water, these grass-cutting hacks will ensure your lawn stays healthy, even in the sweltering summer heat. With a little strategy and a few easy adjustments, you can turn your lawn from a sorry brown to a glittering green -- and do it in less time. So grab your best mower and read these four essential tips for when to mow, how to mow, and how to keep your mower happy. Read more: The gardening tips everyone needs to know. 1. Keep it long I short trim can cause damage to your lawn, especially during hotter months. Chris Wedel/CNET For some, a perfect lawn is always well-trimmed and consistently kept short. Unfortunately, while this may look nice, it can be a detriment to the overall life of your grass. During the hottest days of summer when your yard is competing with sweltering heat, blazing sun, and less rain, it's best to keep the grass around 4 inches high after a cut. That may seem long, but taller grass retains more water and has longer, healthier roots. So, you'll have to go to the golf course to see that short grass during the summer months if you want your lawn to thrive year-round. 1. Wait until the grass is dry Cicada chimneys look kind of like anthills. Russell Holly/CNET It may seem obvious during the summer when it reaches unbearable temps during the day to try and get started mowing early in the cool morning hours. But if there's still dew on the ground, you can lose time and damage your lawn. This is due to the high likelihood that wet grass will clump up in the discharge chute (that flappy thing on the side), requiring you to stop and remove the clog. Plus, your mower tires won't get great traction either and could put tracks in your yard. Instead, wait until later in the morning when the dew dries, or mow the lawn late in the day before the evening dew. Also, time your sprinklers to start up in the late evening or at night so there isn't extra moisture on the grass when you mow. Here are some more watering tips for your lawn. 3. Go slower Keep your speeds low to make mowing go fast. Alina Bradford/CNET Short on time or just want to get the chore over faster? Then going fast makes the most sense, right? But while it's tempting to go fast while mowing, it can actually create more work for you. By not taking your time and letting the mower do its job properly, there's a good chance it will leave some areas uncut and give the lawn an uneven, sloppy look. This means you'll have to take more time to re-mow it to make the lawn look correct. Instead, take the path of the turtle -- slow and steady. A slower, mid-speed mowing session is faster and better for your lawn than zooming around the grass and ultimately needing to re-mow it later. Also, remember that the choke needs to be lower for slower speeds to run properly. 4. Be consistent My yard has never had such a professional look. Chris Wedel/CNET Mowing randomly across your lawn can take up more time and lead to an uneven cut. Follow a pattern instead, using this technique: Start on the edge of your lawn with the discharge chute pointing toward your lawn Mow around the perimeter of your lawn When you get to your starting point, make a U-turn so the discharge chute is facing the strip you just cut Keep mowing around the perimeter, making sure the discharge chute is pointed toward where you just mowed. In the end, your lawn will end up with a nice pattern and the discharge chute won't clog. How to Prep Your Lawn Mower for the Season How to Prep Your Lawn Mower for the Season Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:02 / Duration 0:06 Loaded : 100.00% 0:03 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:04 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. How to Prep Your Lawn Mower for the Season 5. Prep your mower for the next round Regular maintenance on your mower is important to ensure it is reliable and does a great job each and every time you take it out. Spending a little time after you finish mowing will keep your mower in tip-top shape and lasting longer. Start by turning the mower over and rinsing the blades and discharge chute with a garden hose before putting it away. This will prevent grass from building up, drying out, and being much harder to remove. If the air filter on your push mower looks dirty, give it a good wash with some mild dish soap and rinse it with the garden hose. Set the filter aside to dry so you can put it on right before mowing next time. One of the best time savers is keeping your lawn mower blade sharp. A dull blade will require you to go over the same patch of lawn more than once to cut any raggedy bits left behind. A sharp blade allows you to zip around your lawn just once and still get great results. Most mower repair shops will sharpen the blades for a small fee, or you can do it yourself with these tips. FAQs to help you get the best-looking lawn What order should I mow my lawn? It's best to start mowing around the edges of your lawn, with the grass clippings going into your uncut grass. After cutting around the entire perimeter of your yard, turn back around and mow in the opposite direction, with the grass chute pointing towards the perimeter grass you already cut. Continue this mowing direction until complete. Want to make watering your lawn easier? Here's CNET's guide to making your own automated lawn watering system.
Asharq Al-Awsat
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Fritz Lifts Stuttgart Title as Zverev's Grass-court Wait Goes On
Taylor Fritz claimed his first title of the year with a 6-3 7-6(0) win over top seed Alexander Zverev in the Stuttgart Open final on Sunday, extending his winning streak against the German to five matches. Fritz, who knocked out Zverev in the fourth round of Wimbledon last year, won the opening set 6-3 in 30 minutes without facing a break point. The American second seed broke for a 5-3 lead after Zverev double-faulted twice and missed a volley at the net, Reuters reported. The second set stayed on serve, with Zverev saving the only break point at 5-5 before Fritz pulled away in a one-sided tiebreak to seal victory. It was Fritz's ninth career title, fourth on grass, and improved his head-to-head record against Zverev to 8-5. "I'm really happy especially as it was not too great of a clay season. And then from that place to come here and start the grass season off perfectly, I am super happy to win the title and do it here," said Fritz, who won the ATP 250 title without dropping serve all tournament. "I don't have much time to celebrate. I have doubles tomorrow in London, in Queen's." The 28-year-old Zverev, ranked third in the world, is yet to win a title on grass, a surface he has long struggled on. The three-times Grand Slam finalist has never progressed beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon. "I've had enough, stay away from me. Please don't come to Germany for the next two or three years," Zverev said, having lost his third final on grass after losses to Roger Federer in Halle 2017 and fellow German Florian Mayer in Halle 2016. World number seven Fritz, 27, is set to rise to fourth in the rankings ahead of Wimbledon, which runs from June 30 to July 13.
Reuters
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Mertens beats Ruse to win Den Bosch title
June 15 (Reuters) - Belgian third seed Elise Mertens beat Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3 7-6(4) in the final of the Libema Open in Den Bosch on Sunday to claim her second WTA Tour title of the year, adding to her victory in the Singapore Tennis Open in February. The win earned Mertens her tenth WTA singles title and first on grass, though she has won the Wimbledon women's doubles title in 2021, while also extending her winning head-to-head record against Ruse to 4-0. "It's been an incredible week," said Mertens, who had to dig deep to save 11 match points and overcome two-times winner Ekaterina Alexandrova in Saturday's semi-final. "I mean yesterday I had 11 match points against me. I managed to still win that match. It's tennis, anything can happen. So I'm very proud that I took that chance yesterday and today." Mertens trailed 3-1 in the first set after being put under early pressure by the Romanian qualifier. The Belgian recovered from her shaky start and saved two break points to secure a crucial hold in the fifth game, which turned the tide of the contest. The set was brought back on serve at 3-3 after Ruse double-faulted twice, and Mertens quickly reeled off three more games to clinch the opener, with Ruse taking a lengthy medical timeout between the sets and having her thigh strapped. The pair traded breaks halfway through the second set and Ruse was able to earn two set points at 5-4, but Mertens showed great resilience to hold serve and force a tiebreaker, which she powered through with little trouble. "First of all, I would like to congratulate Elise. You beat me every time, so what can I say," said Ruse, who committed seven double faults in the match. "I'm really sad and angry, but I will try next time... I'm very proud of myself. I didn't expect to be in the final here. It's such a nice tournament." In the men's final later on Sunday, Canadian Gabriel Diallo takes on Belgium's Zizou Bergs.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Zverev to face nemesis Fritz in Stuttgart final
German tennis player Alexander Zverev reacts after winning a point against USA's Ben Shelton during their men's singles semifinal tennis match at the BOSS Open 2025 in Stuttgart. Marijan Murat/dpa Alexander Zverev reached the final of the Stuttgart Open where he faces nemesis Taylor Fritz in a duel of top seeds in his bid for a second title of the year on Sunday. Top seed Zverev saved a set point in the first set of his semi-final on Saturday against another American, third seed Ben Shelton, to win 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (7-1). Advertisement Fritz defeated Canadian fourth seed Felix Auger-Alliasime 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) on a hot afternoon. Fritz has won the last four matches against Zverev to lead their series 7-5, including at last year's Wimbledon, US Open and ATP Finals. Neither Zverev nor Fritz faced a break point on Saturday while Zverev wasted six break points against the big serving Shelton. "I am happy to be in the final. I will do everything to win tomorrow," Zverev told broadcasters DF1 as he bids for a first title on grass and 25th of his career. In a rematch of their recent Munich final which Zverev won, the German wasted two break points against Shelton before taking the tight tie-break on his fifth set point with a service winner. Advertisement Zverev had a slight wobble by missing the first three after leading 6-3, and then had to save one at 7-6 down after conceding four points in a row. Two more break points for Zverev came and went early in the second set, and another two - then match points - at 5-4. But Zverev then breezed through the second tie-break and wrapped up matters with his 15 ace on fourth match point, to go with 35 winners. "It was a good match. I had break points, but not really because he fired an ace and winners. He is probably the best server in the world," Zverev said. Earlier, Fritz hit 10 aces and did not face a break point against Auger-Alliasime who managed 15 aces but also accumulated 23 unforced errors, while Fritz had just 12. Advertisement Fritz clinched the first set thanks to a break in the 10th game when Auger-Alliasime hit a forehand wide on a hot afternoon. Fritz missed his second break point in the fourth game of the second set but prevailed in the tie-break on second match point when Auger-Alliasime hit a backhand wide. "I am so happy. It seemed it came down to a few points. I felt very lucky to get break in first set. I had more chances in the second. The tiebreak was close but it is great to be in the final," Fritz said. Last year's US Open and ATP Finals runner-up Fritz bounced back well from a disappointing first-round exit at the recent French Open in his start into the grass court season, where he was won three of his eight career titles - all of them in Eastbourne. Advertisement Speaking before the second semi-final, Fritz said he has no preference: "I don't care, it will be a very tough match either way." Stuttgart is among the tune-up events for Wimbledon which starts on June 30. American tennis player Ben Shelton plays a forehand return against Germany's Alexander Zverev during their men's singles semifinal tennis match at the BOSS Open 2025 in Stuttgart. Marijan Murat/dpa German tennis player Alexander Zverev plays a backhand return against USA's Ben Shelton during their men's singles semifinal tennis match at the BOSS Open 2025 in Stuttgart. Marijan Murat/dpa
